Selection 3:Boss of the Plains The Hat that Won the West Written by Laurie Carlson Illustrated by Holly Meade

Awards ALA Notable CBC Choices Horn Book Fanfare New York Public Library Title for Reading and Sharing

A true story of the life of a real person. Genre: Biography A true story of the life of a real person.

Selection Summary As a boy, John Stetson worked in his father’s New Jersey hat factory. In 1859, on his way west looking for adventure, he invented a practical hat for his own use. The style suited Western life so well that Stetson became the manufacturer of the most popular hat in the West.

Key Concept: Life in the Old West

Key Vocabulary Adventurers Determined Frontier Gear Opportunity Pioneers Settlers Tanned Wranglers

Adventurers: travelers in search of unusual or exciting experiences The streets were filled with adventurers heading to explore the West.

Determined: sticking to a purpose John was determined to start a new life in St. Joseph, Missouri, and he would not give up until he succeeded.

Frontier: unexplored land People were headed to the frontier to search for gold.

Gear: equipment used for a specific activity In St. Joseph, Missouri, people bought gear and supplies for their journey to the goldfields.

Opportunity: a good chance John Stetson found the opportunity to head West when a group of travelers invited him along on their journey to Pikes Peak.

Pioneers: people who are the first to settle in a region Pioneers settled on the lands of the West before others came out to join them.

Settlers: people who travel to a little known area and make a home At first, settlers and travelers in the American West wore whatever hats they had worn back home.

Tanned: changed animal hide to leather by soaking it in chemicals The settlers thought they might be able to use rabbit skins to make a tent if they could be properly tanned.

Wranglers: cowboys John Stetson decided to make a hat for the wranglers of the West.

Strategy focus: Summarize This biography tells how the Boss of the Plains hat was invented and became a success. Stop at different points in the story to summarize key events.

Comprehension Skill Focus: Making Generalizations You can use a chart to list details from the story and then formulate generalizations from those details. Generalizations are statements about the story that are generally true.

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